Tag Archives: Ronan

For the past few years, SLUG members have been running a stand for Keune Authentic Foods (http://homedeliverycsa.com/) at the downtown Appleton Farm Market. This is both incredibly fun and an unbeatable experience, diving into the Appleton community. Working at the market is more than just a lesson in quick mental math and succinct explanations. It is an opportunity to interact directly with people who are interested in good food and to share our collective passion for it.

This past Saturday, a man with three children in his wake stopped at the stand. He was carrying a camera and they all paused by the stand while he looked at the produce. He asked the kids if they knew what “organic” meant, they said no, so he asked me to explain it. While he chose the perfect tomato, I described what organic farming meant and why we choose to farm organically. He purchased the tomato and they all headed off into the bustle of the market. Shortly after they left, an older couple that has been coming to the stand for years stopped by, filled their baskets and continued their shopping. Being an established stand as well as a place where people feel comfortable coming with curiosity and inquiries makes the Farm Market a unique and inspiring experience.

What a week it’s been! From last week, with a day of intense heat, to this week, with a huge thunderstorm, we’ve been experiencing Wisconsin weather at its most interesting. Our tomato plants have been eating it all up, and we’re just beginning to get tomatoes.

(Photo Courtesy of Ronan)

We just recently got our first three, and we have lots and lots of green tomatoes ready to become red.

(Photo Courtesy of Joy Jordan)

Basil basil and more basil: we have it all. We have an immense amount of basil, and as soon as we get around to it, we plan to cut the tops off the basil to make it bushier and give us even more basil! We will have pesto coming out our ears.

Our green beans are also starting to come.

(Photo courtesy of Ronan)

They’re not quite ready for a full harvest, but we took a handful yesterday.

Our raspberries have been producing steadily for a few weeks now, despite being devoured by the japanese beetles which we’ve been performing genocide on daily.

(Photo courtesy of Ronan)

Our bees are, well, busy as bees, and we just took a small honey harvest (a tupperware container worth). They have been producing some absolutely delicious honey!

(Photo courtesy of Ronan)

Our compost has also been busy: we have acquired some seeds which have sprouted into fruit which looks absolutely delicious.

(Photo Courtesy of Joy Jordan)

This fruit has also been inspiring lively discussion into its identity.

Our orchard is also thriving. Attempts to improve the quality of our first apple harvest by delaying it a few years and cutting off all the blossoms were thwarted by one particularly ambitious tree which managed to get a little apple past us. It has since been removed, but it was a beautiful and incredibly sour apple while it lasted.